Network Diagram Software & Mapping Tools

A diagram costs a thousand words. And one of the most important diagrams is a network diagram. This guide will provide you with information about how to draw it, its elements, paths, requirements, and network diagram software. You can find tools that work on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android, and web-based online platforms.

Software Requirements

Once again there is no best solution for network diagram software. But there are two main options.

Standard Diagramming Software– If you want general network diagrams in a fast and easy way you can use standard software for diagrams. The diagrams are useful for business purposes, presentations, fast and easy knowledge transfer.

The main disadvantage is that you have only static network diagram and you need to change it manually. There are no network mapping features or other management options.

The Standard Diagraming tools will not be listed in this page. More explanation about them you can find in Project Management tools section.

Automate Network Mapping Software – well if you have large enterprise or support many networks you may need more than a static picture. Network mapping software offers many options to manage your network and its graphic visualization. Most important of them is automated creation of network diagrams.

Some of the most important requirements for this software are:

Map accuracy

View network devices

Import data

Scan network

Routing

Information flows

View current network state

View previous states

Export data

The next sections will provide reviews and more information for these automated network diagramming software.

Network Diagram Software

This section provides information for best tools for automated network diagramming and mapping.

10-Strike

One of the best network mapping software you can get. It offers a number of services for network inventory, monitoring, administration, mapping, diagramming, and etc.

One of the best thing in 10-Strike is that you can actually buy one or more modules. And you can order them according to the size of your network. This saves money and makes the software very affordable.

10Scape

10Scape offers a really good balance between automatical scanning and drawing and manual features.

This network software provides a wide range of network diagrams:

Detailed cabling diagrams

Security and compliance diagrams

Network planning models

LAN/WAN diagrams

10Scape offers some additional but very useful tools as port level connection, dynamic change of the layouts, a wide range of icons, device locations and grouping, export in PDF and image format, and many others.

The pricing is very flexible. You can have it for free but limited. Or you can buy different plans. And the prices are relativelly cheap.

10Scape has really good features for communication and collaboration with internal and external teams.

WhatsConnected

WhatsConnected is an automated network diagram software with many useful features.

Of course, its allows device discovery and network mapping. But WhatsConnected provides detailed information about physical connectivity, device status and type, and configuration information based on IP research.

OpenNMS

OpenNMS is a free open-source network diagramming and management tool. So it has no license, maintenance or upgrade costs.

But the company offers commercial support, development, and training also. It means that the customers are free to use the system as a pure free open-source tool, but still has options for professional support.

OpenNMS offers all major automated network diagramming features:

Automated and directed network devices discovery

Network provisioning

Event and notification management

Service assurance

Platform management

The above options allow OpenNMS to be excellent network diagram software for both – small companies and major enterprises.

About the Author Marin Valchev

Marin Valchev, PMP is an IT Project Manager with more than 10 years of experience. He implements cutting-edge technology in a wide-range of Financial and TELCO companies in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Marin shares his knowledge of software, analysis, project management and other business areas.